Often the question is asked by individuals suffering with some “joint” pain is “do I or will I need a joint replacement surgery?” This question is asked because these procedures (hip, knee, and shoulder) are quite common in this country.
The short answer is YES, long answer is IT DEPENDS…so I will explain in more detail.
The IT DEPENDS part comes down to where in the process a person is asking the question and how much they are willing to do?
The first part 1st…how advanced is the joint problem? Or put another way, how long have you lived with it and how much is it impacting daily life? As with many conditions, the earlier a problem is addressed, the better the chance for success. The BEST time to seek care for (knee, hip, shoulder) troubles is as soon as one begins to have issues (or even before).
When a person starts to notice difficulty with daily tasks that is the time to get help. That 1st day some doctor tells a person they have “arthritis”, they should be getting help. That moment some doctor tells a patient, just to live with their arthritis and when it is bad enough come get a new joint…the next moment should be a call for some help. DO NOT JUST LIVE WITH IT. DO NOT JUST WAIT. Waiting around for months or years is the best way to make sure one has a joint replacement. 
Waiting until the pain is so severe a person has one foot in the operating room already, seeking regular injections from an orthopedic surgeon, the chance for success is very low. Only putting in a half-hearted effort into rehab at the end is also sure to fail. A person needs to be all in for success and avoid a joint replacement surgery.
The second part from above, what is a person willing to do? Is the person willing to put in the work necessary to improve motion, flexibility, and strength? Are they willing to deal with potentially a little bit of hurt to ultimately live better? If the answer is YES, then physical therapy can help a person avoid joint replacement surgery.
Just what does success look like? Well, this will be different from person to person, BUT in most cases success is: less pain medication, no or fewer injections, increased mobility and freedom to do pleasurable activities, and NO joint replacement. But the doctor said I would need a replacement in the future? Ok, but what do you want to do with all those years before that may happen?
Are you willing to take pain medication daily? Do you want to limit your activities due to pain? If not, then the time is NOW to find a physical therapist to help you to become more active with less pain.
Not sure physical therapy can help you? Why not read HERE more about what a PT can do. Or if looking for more specific information for you, then how about getting a personalize call to learn more.